White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters by Robert Schlesinger

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Item specifics

Condition
Good: A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including ...
Binding
Paperback
Product Group
Book
Book Title
White House Ghosts
Book Series
N/A
Narrative Type
Fiction
Intended Audience
Adults
Weight
1 lbs
IsTextBook
No
Personalize
No
Features
N/A
Country/Region of Manufacture
United States
ISBN
9780743291705
Subject Area
Political Science, Language Arts & Disciplines, Biography & Autobiography, History
Publication Name
White House Ghosts : Presidents and Their Speechwriters
Publisher
Simon & Schuster
Item Length
9 in
Subject
Political Process / General, United States / 20th Century, General, Presidents & Heads of State, Rhetoric, Political, American Government / General, Public Speaking
Publication Year
2008
Type
Textbook
Format
Trade Paperback
Language
English
Item Height
1.7 in
Author
Robert Schlesinger
Item Weight
25.8 Oz
Item Width
6 in
Number of Pages
592 Pages
Category

About this product

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Simon & Schuster
ISBN-10
0743291700
ISBN-13
9780743291705
eBay Product ID (ePID)
65901585

Product Key Features

Number of Pages
592 Pages
Publication Name
White House Ghosts : Presidents and Their Speechwriters
Language
English
Publication Year
2008
Subject
Political Process / General, United States / 20th Century, General, Presidents & Heads of State, Rhetoric, Political, American Government / General, Public Speaking
Type
Textbook
Author
Robert Schlesinger
Subject Area
Political Science, Language Arts & Disciplines, Biography & Autobiography, History
Format
Trade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height
1.7 in
Item Weight
25.8 Oz
Item Length
9 in
Item Width
6 in

Additional Product Features

Intended Audience
Trade
Dewey Edition
22
Reviews
"White House Ghoststakes you into the minds and machinations of presidents in a way no other book has -- through the insights of succeeding generations of White House speechwriters. As a long-time student of the American presidency, I was constantly engaged, intrigued, and amused by this very smart and ambitious book." -- Tom Brokaw, author ofBoom!andThe Greatest Generation, "Robert Schlesinger'sWhite House Ghostsis a welcome addition to the literature on presidents. His book not only adds a significant dimension to our understanding of how presidential speeches were constructed but also deepens our knowledge of the way in which major policies were developed. Schlesinger has given us an altogether delightful and informative study that will become essential reading for anyone interested in the modern presidency." -- Robert Dallek, author ofNixon and Kissinger, "It's no surprise that the men and women who have written speeches for our presidents have stories to tell! What is a surprise is that Robert Schlesinger has dug up so many of them. White House Ghosts flows along with one rich anecdote after the next. All the major speeches (and several minor ones) are dissected. (Some presidents actually did some rewriting themselves. Imagine!) The book is fascinating. And funny. If you like reading American history, you'll love this book." -- Lesley Stahl, correspondent for 60 Minutes and author of Reporting Live, "Robert Schlesinger's White House Ghosts is a welcome addition to the literature on presidents. His book not only adds a significant dimension to our understanding of how presidential speeches were constructed but also deepens our knowledge of the way in which major policies were developed. Schlesinger has given us an altogether delightful and informative study that will become essential reading for anyone interested in the modern presidency." -- Robert Dallek, author of Nixon and Kissinger, "It's no surprise that the men and women who have written speeches for our presidents have stories to tell! What is a surprise is that Robert Schlesinger has dug up so many of them.White House Ghostsflows along with one rich anecdote after the next. All the major speeches (and several minor ones) are dissected. (Some presidents actually did some rewriting themselves. Imagine!) The book is fascinating. And funny. If you like reading American history, you'll love this book." -- Lesley Stahl, correspondent for60 Minutesand author ofReporting Live, "A president's words can frame an era or shape world history. That makes his speechwriters critical. Robert Schlesinger, son of one of the greatest, brings the flair of a storyteller and the insight of a scholar to the White House's obscure but glorious ghosts." -- Jonathan Alter, author ofThe Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, "A president's words can frame an era or shape world history. That makes his speechwriters critical. Robert Schlesinger, son of one of the greatest, brings the flair of a storyteller and the insight of a scholar to the White House's obscure but glorious ghosts." -- Jonathan Alter, author of The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, " White House Ghosts takes you into the minds and machinations of presidents in a way no other book has -- through the insights of succeeding generations of White House speechwriters. As a long-time student of the American presidency, I was constantly engaged, intrigued, and amused by this very smart and ambitious book." -- Tom Brokaw, author of Boom! and The Greatest Generation
Illustrated
Yes
Dewey Decimal
973.09/9
Table Of Content
Contents Introduction: The Coming of the "Literary Clerk" ONE "Grace, Take a Law" TWO "Missouri English" THREE "Sometimes You Sure Get Tired of All This Clackety-Clack" FOUR The Age of Sorensen FIVE "Now That's What I Call a News Lead" SIX "Concern for Image Must Rank with Concern for Substance" SEVEN "Go Back and Give Me One Speech, Not Two Speeches" EIGHT "Don't Give Any Explanation. Just Say I Cancelled the Damn Speech" NINE The Musketeers TEN "I'm Not Going to Dance on the Berlin Wall" ELEVEN "No, No, No, This Is a Speech -- I Just Want to Talk to People" ¥ 402 TWELVE "The Troika" Notes Acknowledgments Index Illustration Credits
Synopsis
In White House Ghosts , veteran Washington reporter Robert Schlesinger opens a fresh and revealing window on the modern presidency from FDR to George W. Bush. This is the first book to examine a crucial and often hidden role played by the men and women who help presidents find the words they hope will define their places in history. Drawing on scores of interviews with White House scribes and on extensive archival research, Schlesinger weaves intimate, amusing, compelling stories that provide surprising insights into the personalities, quirks, egos, ambitions, and humor of these presidents as well as how well or not they understood the bully pulpit. White House Ghosts traces the evolution of the presidential speechwriter's job from Raymond Moley under FDR through such luminaries as Ted Sorensen and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., under JFK, Jack Valenti and Richard Goodwin under LBJ, William Safire and Pat Buchanan under Nixon, Hendrik Hertzberg and James Fallows under Carter, and Peggy Noonan under Reagan, to the "Troika" of Michael Gerson, John McConnell, and Matthew Scully under George W. Bush. White House Ghosts tells the fascinating inside stories behind some of the most iconic presidential phrases: the first inaugural of FDR ("the only thing we have to fear is fear itself ") and JFK ("ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country"), Richard Nixon's "I am not a crook" and Ronald Reagan's "tear down this wall" speeches, Bill Clinton's ending "the era of big government" State of the Union, and George W. Bush's post-9/11 declaration that "whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done" -- and dozens of other noteworthy speeches. The book also addresses crucial questions surrounding the complex relationship between speechwriter and speechgiver, such as who actually crafted the most memorable phrases, who deserves credit for them, and who has claimed it. Schlesinger tells the story of the modern American presidency through this unique prism -- how our chief executives developed their very different rhetorical styles and how well they grasped the rewards of reaching out to the country. White House Ghosts is dramatic, funny, gripping, surprising, serious -- and always entertaining., Veteran Washington reporter Robert Schlesinger opens a fresh and revealing window on the modern presidency from FDR to George W. Bush--examining the crucial and often hidden role of the speechwriter--the men and women who help presidents find the words that define their places in history. Drawing on scores of interviews with White House scribes and on extensive archival research, Schlesinger weaves intimate, amusing, compelling stories that provide surprising insights into the personalities, quirks, egos, ambitions, and humor of these presidents as well as how well or not they understood the bully pulpit. White House Ghosts traces the evolution of the presidential speechwriter's job from Raymond Moley under FDR through such luminaries as Ted Sorensen and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., under JFK, Jack Valenti and Richard Goodwin under LBJ, William Safire and Pat Buchanan under Nixon, Hendrik Hertzberg and James Fallows under Carter, and Peggy Noonan under Reagan, to the "Troika" of Michael Gerson, John McConnell, and Matthew Scully under George W. Bush. White House Ghosts tells the fascinating inside stories behind some of the most iconic presidential phrases: the first inaugural of FDR ("the only thing we have to fear is fear itself ") and JFK ("ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country"), Richard Nixon's "I am not a crook" and Ronald Reagan's "tear down this wall" speeches, Bill Clinton's ending "the era of big government" State of the Union, and George W. Bush's post-9/11 declaration that "whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done" -- and dozens of other noteworthy speeches. The book also addresses crucial questions surrounding the complex relationship between speechwriter and speechgiver, such as who actually crafted the most memorable phrases, who deserves credit for them, and who has claimed it. Schlesinger tells the story of the modern American presidency through this unique prism -- how our chief executives developed their very different rhetorical styles and how well they grasped the rewards of reaching out to the country. White House Ghosts is dramatic, funny, gripping, surprising, serious -- and always entertaining.

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